U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin renews effort to get 'milk' label taken off non-dairy products

With vapor from their breathing visible on a 20-degree morning, cows wait to be milked.(Photo: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

By labeling plant-based beverages with the word “milk,” the makers of those products have “gotten away with using the dairy industry’s good name for their own benefit,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said in a statement Thursday.

Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, and U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, reintroduced legislation Thursday that would combat what Baldwin described as the “unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products.”

The legislation would require non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants and algae to no longer be labeled with terms such as milk, yogurt or cheese. The existing regulation defines dairy products as being from dairy animals, but the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t enforced it.

“Dairy farmers in Wisconsin work tirelessly every day to ensure that their milk meets high standards for nutritional value and quality,” Baldwin said.

The legislation would require the FDA to provide guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled imitation dairy products within 90 days. The FDA would also have to report to Congress in two years to hold the agency accountable.

The legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, and Rep. Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho.

This isn't the first time Baldwin and other lawmakers have tried to introduce the legislation, but it hasn't been successful in the past.

The renewed push for legislation on the issue comes as many dairy farmers in Wisconsin and elsewhere find themselves struggling to survive amid low milk prices and decreased demand for their products.

Jim Holte, president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, said in a statement that the labeling and marketing of all dairy products should be accurate and enforced.

“Wisconsin’s dairy industry is the backbone of our state’s agricultural economy,” Holte said. “We receive worldwide recognition because or farmers take pride in providing healthy and safe dairy products to their customers.”

Marieke Penterman, of Marieke Gouda, a farm and cheese-making facility in Thorp, praised Baldwin for supporting transparency in the dairy marketplace.

“Corporations are taking advantage of a movement pushing for an ‘ethical’ way to consume products, ironically, by making false and unsubstantiated claims about their products,” Penterman said.